1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to phonographs and more particularly, to a new and improved device for lifting the tone arm and stylus from a phonograph record after the end of the sound groove has been played.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional high fidelity phonographic equipment is usually not provided with an automatic mechanism to lift the stylus from the phonograph record after the end of the sound groove has been played. As a result, the equipment operator must be on the alert to manually lift the tone arm off of the record as soon as the stylus reaches the end of the sound groove. Failure to remove the stylus from the record at this time results in a continuous rotation of the stylus in the final groove producing an offending repetitious noise and needless stylus wear.
A device for automatically lifting a phonograph stylus from a record at the conclusion of play which is designed for use with high fidelity phonographic equipment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,219,351 to Shaper et al. This device consists of a magnet disposed within a shielded housing in such a position that a pin mounted to the tone arm and constructed of a magnetic material will, upon entering the housing through an opening therein, be subjected to a substantially vertical pull that lifts the stylus from the record. While such a device performs satisfactorily, it has the disadvantage of requiring structure, such as the housing and its mounting mechanism, which cannot be manufactured and assembled inexpensively. Moreover, accurate adjustment of the pin is somewhat difficult since small changes in its position are magnified at the stylus due to the length of the tone arm.